The best record store(s) you've visited, past or present

I still love visiting brick-and-mortar record stores.

Like many other music lovers, I buy lots of CDs and vinyl online these days, but I also enjoy hunting for albums in stores, where you never know what you might find. I began collecting CDs and vinyl during my late teens in the late 1990s, so I didn't experience the peak era for record stores by a long shot. But I have visited plenty of shops around the U.S. since I became a collector.

Here are the most best and interesting stores I have visited, past and present. I’ll acknowledge upfront that I’m more of a CD guy than a vinyl guy, but I do collect both. Most of the stores below are independent shops, with a few small chains mixed in. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this topic as well:

Stores that are still open:

1.) Amoeba Music; Berkeley, Calif., and San Francisco: Anytime one of those "best record stores in the U.S." lists comes out, Amoeba invariably appears. In fact, it seems as though Amoeba wins the unofficial title of best independent record store in the U.S. And that's probably justified, especially if you're a CD lover.

I was fortunate enough to visit both Amoeba branches in the Bay Area last year. The stores are among the biggest I've been to, and the stock of new and especially used CDs, many of them out of print, is remarkable. I spotted all sorts of items that I rarely, if ever, see elsewhere. I can't really vouch for the vinyl selection because I spent pretty much all of my time looking at the CDs. Both Amoebas in the Bay Area also sold music books, with the San Francisco store having the more impressive selection.

All in all, these Amoeba stores are like a paradise for music lovers, especially CD fans. There's also an Amoeba branch in Hollywood that's the biggest and reportedly best in the chain, but I've yet to visit it. I'm hoping to do so this year if possible, as the L.A. area has a bunch of great record stores that I'd like to see firsthand.

2.) Twist & Shout, Denver: Of the other stores I've visited over the years, this one perhaps came the closest to matching the Amoeba experience. I visited Twist & Shout in 2011. The store was huge, with a wide selection of CDs and vinyl records. I saw a lot of items in the bins (stuff like Beach Boys Unsurpassed Masters volumes) that usually don't pop up in brick-and-mortar stores. The vinyl was sold in a separate room, and the selection was quite impressive. As far as I know, Twist & Shout is still doing well. There's a branch of the excellent Denver independent bookstore Tattered Cover next door, and a handy parking garage nearby.

3.) Waterloo Records; Austin, Texas: I've been able to visit this well-known shop a couple of times in the past decade. The store is huge, and the selection of CDs is very thorough and when I visited included plenty of items that you usually don't spot elsewhere. Great place to pick up music by Texas-based artists, too. They sometimes provide free beer in the store, which is awesome. I wasn't as impressed by the vinyl selection, but overall this store is deserving of the many kudos thrown its way.

4.) Princeton Record Exchange; Princeton, N.J.: I was able to visit this store in late 2015 for the first time. It's definitely in the rung of stores just below the Amoebas. Great selection of used CDs especially, and the prices on many items are quite cheap. I picked up several really good box sets in used but excellent condition for about $15 each. The vinyl selection was pretty large, too, from what I saw. If you're ever in this part of the country, this place is certainly worth checking out. There's a nearby parking garage that comes in handy. And the cool college town of Princeton is worth checking out in its own right.

5.) Bananas Music; St. Petersburg, Fla.: It seems like Bananas still flies under the radar somehow in terms of national reputation. It did crack Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 30 best record stores in the U.S., though, and that's probably what led me to taking two separate road trips to check it out when I lived in South Florida from 2011 to 2014.

Bananas has a regular store in St. Petersburg that sells new and used CDs and vinyl records. That store is fine, but the better reason to visit Bananas is that they have a vinyl warehouse located a few blocks from the regular store. The warehouse has a ton of records stored alphabetically on shelves, almost like a library of vinyl. It will depend on what kind of records you're seeking, but I had pretty good luck tracking down some rare titles here. The first time I visited, I spotted about five or six copies of Buckingham-Nicks' self-titled album from the early 1970s. I had never seen this record in a brick-and-mortar store anywhere else, so that impressed me! I also found several "West Coast/AOR" records here that I had never seen elsewhere.

The selection at Bananas was quite thorough, if still imperfect. The compilations section, for example, was just OK. Still, I spent several hours during each visit looking through the records, and there were still whole sections of the warehouse that I didn't have time to see. If you're a vinyl lover and ever in the Tampa/St. Pete area, I'd suggest that you at least give the place a shot. The selection is huge.

6.) Music Millennium; Portland, Ore.: I only visited this store once, and it was way back in 2002, but I remember that the CD selection was really interesting and deep. This store seems to be an institution in Portland, which is a great city for digging for records.

7.) Electric Fetus, Minneapolis: I grew up in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the Electric Fetus was the first truly great independent record store that I ever visited. I remember that it was a revelation when I learned that such a store existed. Until then, I thought places like Best Buy were the only places to pick up CDs!

To this day, the Fetus is one of the most impressive independent record shops in the U.S. The selection of new and used CDs and vinyl is deep and excellent and covers all sorts of genres. I built up a good portion of my record collection through purchases I made here during my 20s. There's also a cool adjoining gift shop that sells music posters, T-shirts, books and other items. You can get good deals at the Fetus, too, such as a 10 percent discount anytime you buy three or more albums. I make sure to visit this store when I'm in the Twin Cities.

8.) Sound Garden, Baltimore: I lived in Baltimore from 2007 to 2009 and often visited this excellent store. The selection of new and used CDs is large and impressive, and the prices are better here for new CDs than they are at most places these days. The used vinyl selection isn’t as impressive, but they do carry quite a bit of new vinyl.

9.) Jazz Record Mart, Chicago: I’ve only been to this store once, about 12 years ago, and the visit was pretty brief, but the collection of jazz and blues discs was mighty impressive and the memory has stuck with me.

10.) Rock and Roll Heaven, Orlando: I visited this shop a few times on road trips when I lived in Florida. This store is geared toward oldies lovers (1950s to 1970s rock/R&B), but if you like that kind of music, it’s definitely worth visiting as the stock of used vinyl and used CDs is quite good.

11.) Grimey’s, Nashville: I visited this store while on a road trip back in 2011. It’s a very solid independent store with a deep selection of CDs – and not just country music.

12.) Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Nashville: Located near the Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville, this store does specialize in country music. It’s not huge, but it’s got a cool vibe and is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.

13.) Trax on Wax; Catonsville, Md.: This store located outside Baltimore opened after I lived in the region in from 2007 to 2009, but I was able to visit it recently. It’s a cool all-vinyl shop with lots of records to dig through. Well organized, and the owner is friendly.

14.) Jerry’s Records, Pittsburgh: This store might be higher on this list if I had actually had more of an opportunity to dig through the bins when I stopped in during a 2009 trip. I was pressed for time during that visit. I do know that the store was impressively large and that a lot of vinyl fans swear by it.

15.) Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis: I visited this shop during a 2011 road trip. It didn’t quite live up to all the positive reviews I read on Yelp, but there was a large selection of vinyl and CDs and I did find some quality items to purchase.

16.) CD Cellar; Falls Church, Va.: This has become my favorite record store in the D.C. area, in part because it’s one of the few places in the region that still sells CDs. But it’s more than just that – the CD selection, of which maybe 90 percent is used, is really sharp. A lot of collectibles, including box sets, end up here, and the stock turns over at a pretty good rate. The selection of used vinyl is solid as well. This store used to have two branches – one in Falls Church, Va., and the other in Arlington, Va., but as of this month, everything is now housed in one location in Falls Church.

17.) CD Alley; Chapel Hill, N.C.: I stopped at this store on the University of North Carolina campus when I was moving from Florida to the Washington, D.C., area in April 2014. The shop is small but packed with a very well-chosen stock of CDs and vinyl.

18.) Treehouse Records, Minneapolis: Not nearly as large as fellow Minneapolis store the Electric Fetus, this shop is nonetheless a must-visit anytime I’m in Minneapolis. It’s a funky, crammed-full store that carries an interesting, off-the-beaten-path collection of CDs and vinyl. I’ve picked up many collectible records here over the years.

19.) Cheapo Records; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.: Small chain with locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Probably the best stores in the Twin Cities for buying used CDs as the selection is quite large and always changing. Good places to pick up used vinyl, too.

Stores that are no longer open:

Let It Be, Minneapolis: This store actually still exists online and does mail order, but its brick-and-mortar presence in downtown Minneapolis is greatly missed since it closed in 2005. I was only able to visit this shop a handful of times before it closed, but I can vouch that it was excellent. The stock of CDs was large, with a lot of British imports and other interesting, collectible items. The vinyl selection was noteworthy, too.

Aron’s Records, Los Angeles: This store in the heart of Hollywood closed in late 2005. I was able to visit it in 2002, and the selection of used discs was pretty impressive. It was also on that trip that I planned to visit the Rhino Westwood store. Remarkably, the Rhino shop was closed on the day I attempted to visit. There was a sign in the window saying that it was closed for restocking, or something to that effect. That was unfortunate as I was never able to visit the shop; it closed a few years later.

Tower Records, national chain: To my knowledge, Tower Records never had a branch in Minnesota, where I grew up. But the California-based chain had stores in a lot of the larger U.S. metro areas. I finally was able to shop at a few Towers when I visited my brother in Sacramento in late 2001. In fact, I think I visited the original Tower store, right there in Sacramento. A lot of national music chains were pretty lame (Sam Goody, etc.), but my memories of Tower are that the selection was sharp and pretty deep.

Virgin Megastore, national chain: I’m not even sure how many of these existed in the U.S. According to some quick research, it looks like all of them were closed by 2009. I visited one in San Francisco in 2002. The store was definitely large and had some interesting titles, but overall I don’t recall the experience being as positive as my visits to Tower.

Best Buy, national chain: Well, technically Best Buy is still open and still sells CDs, but the chain is a shadow of its former self in that regard. Best Buy headquarters is located in a suburb outside Minneapolis, and the Twin Cities, where I grew up, have plenty of Best Buy stores. When I was in my teens in the 1990s, Best Buy actually had a thorough selection of CDs, and the prices were generally pretty good. I miss those days. These days, Best Buy’s CD selection is depressingly skimpy.

 

That Newbury Comics store in Norwood Mass has been gaining popularity.

 

Nothing will ever touch Tower on the Sunset Strip! Nothing!

 

The Record Connection-Waterville, Maine
Many reasons, the biggest is the owner. Class human being.

 

I love stores that are meticulously organized - House of Records in Eugene OR is super (and actually in a house!), as is Neptune Music Co. here in Seattle (it may look like a mess - they need more space - but everything is obsessively alphabetized and each record labeled with notes about condition and pressing. Huge selection of CDs as well). I have to agree about Twist & Shout in Denver - great selection, clean, well organized and next door to a nice cafe with good coffee.

 

I still think one of the best record stores in the LA. Area belongs to my buddy Gary Johnson of Rockaway Records in Silver Lake which is right outside of LA. still has a great store w a nice selection of Record's + CD'S + one of the most best owners out there.

 

Strictly Disks in Madison Wisconsin is pretty sweet. Very clean and organized. Nice selection. New and used CDs and Vinyl.

 

You definitely need to spend some time digging at Jerry's. Also check the auctions on his website which is where the best stuff he gets goes. IMO he overgrades the auction stuff by a level, bid accordingly. Spend some time talking to him, he always has some good tidbits.

Glad you liked Trax on Wax. I think they do a really good job of stocking high grade stuff. Check their dollar bins too, I got a couple steals (and a few that were worth every bit of $1).

 

Yes, I was really impressed by Trax on Wax on my first visit there. I found some pretty rare items in the bins, and I agree that the product is high-grade overall. And as I mentioned, the owner seems really friendly and helpful. It's one of the better all-vinyl shops I've visited in the past few years anywhere.

Regarding Jerry's, yes, I need to visit again and give myself more time. In fact, a road trip to Pittsburgh from D.C. might be in order in the coming months.

 

Easy for me:

Still open: Lost and Found Records, Knoxville.
Huge selection of rare imports, and classic rock titles almost always in VG++ or better for dirt cheap prices. Extremely friendly, warm and knowledgeable staff who can actually understand and lament the loudness wars. Best shop in the country currently in operation IMO. And there's several others in town there, why in the world they have so many in such a more out here town is beyond me.
First time I ever went there a person was walking out with a mint TML of The Wall and had paid $15. I turned to my friend and said: "here are my people!!"

Record exchange, Tampa FL.
Good selection and crazy cheap Florida prices.

No longer with us:
Vinyl Fever, Tampa FL
Best store ever. They filled my college days with excitement when I was living hand to mouth and gave me so many things to experience and then bust out on air in our terrible unfunded AM station. Everything was well laid out in a relatively small space and CHEAP AS HELL. I've been spoiled and nothing is ever the same. Practically all CDs were 99 cents or 1.99, same for vinyl. I bought my first London Calling there (US LP NM) for a buck 99. Gosh, that place still brings the memories back. I still have the price stickers too.

 

Jazz Record Mart in Chicago, an absolute must for Jazz (LP) lovers.
Beware : don't forget to inform your bank before any visit, once inside, your credit card will immediately get in fire

 

Avalanche Records a.k.a. Love Music, Dundas St., Glasgow
Monorail Music, King St., Glasgow
Play It Again, corner of Ruthven Mews, Glasgow

 

STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
Chicago Digital, one of the first stores selling CD's in the Chicagoland area
and still a CD only business, with special emphasis on Classical, Jazz, and
classic Rock, Soul, and Funk.
Chris opened the store in 1985 and is still at it. With over 30,000 new and
used CD's in stock, if your looking for something special or rare give him
a call.
I lived very close and was a walk in customer there from 85 to 2010
when I moved to FL. Nicest guy you'd ever want to do business with

http://www.chicagocompactdiscs.com/

 

Never been to Play It Again. Sadly, Volcanic Tongue has closed.

 

Amoeba Hollywood.

 

sam the record man in toronto - they had so many japanese and european imports at very reasonable prices it was uncanny. spent a lot of american dollars there as the exchange was very high back then.'
'
in the states - repeat the beat, the cleveland store, there were only there for a couple of years, but they had everything, new and used. spent a lot of american dollars there too